QandA Latest Program: Thursday 3 September 2009 at 9:30pm http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/

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Gus: There are times when one has to pay dues against one's ingrained beliefs. For example one has to admit that Senator Bill Heffernan has "improved"... Even one of my buddies who had seriously bad interaction with him way back in the wild 1980s told me in the afternoon before the show that Heffernam had mellowed and strangely grasped the major issues, including climate warming... Weird...

It must also eventually come to an end, and this could become a problem for the newly-elected Democratic Party government in Tokyo. The negatives for Japan in this institutionalized subordination to the United States have become heavy to bear, not only politically but in certain ways psychologically, and even spiritually. Japan, after all, from its brilliant successes early in the Meiji era, in its 1904-1905 war with Russia, to its defeat by American nuclear bombs in 1945, was probably the most dynamic, ambitious and nationalistic country on earth.

It sounds like the plot for the latest summer horror movie. Imagine, for a moment, that George W. Bush had been allowed a third term as president, had run and had won or stolen it, and that we were all now living (and dying) through it. With the Democrats in control of Congress but Bush still in the Oval Office, the media would certainly be talking endlessly about a mandate for bipartisanship and the importance of taking into account the concerns of Republicans. Can't you just picture it?

Two weeks ago, a Libyan intelligence agent, Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, who was serving a life term in Scotland for the destruction of an American airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, was released on compassionate grounds by Scotland's justice minister. Megrahi was dying of cancer. "Devolved" Scotland enjoys considerable autonomy from London in legal matters.

A huge international furor erupted that was rich in hypocrisy and double standards.

What has been Rees's solution to the state's problems in almost 12 months as Premier?

Every week he comes up with another ridiculous plan, such as closing down the Harbour Bridge for a day, covering it with astro turf and inviting Sydneysiders to have breakfast on it. Apart from the inconvenience to motorists, it's the least attractive picnic venue in town. For one thing the railings are so high no one sitting on a picnic blanket will be able to see any of the view, just railway tracks and anti-suicide wire.

Doubts have emerged over whether the giant $50 billion Gorgon gas project can safely bury its greenhouse gas emissions deep beneath the Barrow Island nature reserve off Western Australia, despite the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, backing the plan.

Technical experts working with Gorgon's developers, Chevron, Shell and ExxonMobil, found it was possible that carbon dioxide could leak from faults in the geological formation under the island which is supposed to act as the burial site.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he is deeply disturbed and troubled by the alleged domestic violence attack on Tasmanian MP Jodie Campbell.

Mr Rudd spoke with 36-year-old Ms Campbell last night to convey his wholehearted support and that of the parliamentary Labor Party.

"Acts of violence against women, in my view, are cowardly acts by men and have no place in modern Australia," said Mr Rudd.

"The only attitude we can have is zero tolerance and, as a nation, we need to embrace that."

From the ABC

A new report has found pests cost Australia's agriculture industry more than $740 million a year.

Rabbits are considered the nation's biggest feral animal problem, causing $200 million worth of damage every year.

Birds cost the horticulture industry about $300 million annually.

Tony Peacock from the Invasive Animal Cooperative Research Centre says the total estimated cost is a conservative estimate, which does not include environmental or social impacts.

"Sure, I, I always seemed to have faith in the government and honestly, I didn't really care (laugh).  Umm, I had other things going on - ya know, getting married, having children - it just, it wasn't a priority in my life, and, ya know I really didn't start even watching the news at all I think until maybe 1991.

Suddenly they were all over the place, arriving not as singles but in battalions. Many, like Maryland's 5th District Rep. Steny Hoyer had been to Israel nearly a dozen times; career stalwarts once more showing fealty to Israel's brutal occupation of Palestine while lamely telling their constituents that they were on a legitimate 'fact finding mission.' For many, their real purpose was to signal their President that there must be no change in the US policy of coddling Israel's increasingly Apartheid regime.

This week's presidential election in Afghanistan will be an elaborate piece of political theater designed to show increasingly uneasy Western voters that progress is being made in the war-torn nation after seven years of US-led occupation.

Most Afghans already believe they know who will win the vote: the candidate chosen by the United States and its NATO allies.

Voting will mostly be held in urban areas, under the guns of US and NATO troops.